


the touch of a velvet hand

by ohjohnnyboy



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Drug Dealing, Drug Use, M/M, Murder, Murder 101, Non-Explicit Sex, Strangulation, Underage Drug Use, but I had to write this, not as bad as it sounds, seongwoo just loves daniel and will do anything to protect him, this was hard to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-04 20:43:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11562978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohjohnnyboy/pseuds/ohjohnnyboy
Summary: And intertwining with all this darkness was one single ray of light. It was a memory of Daniel, lying next to Seongwoo in bed. His smile is lazy, and his eyes are half-open. His hand touches Seongwoo's face, and in a soft voice, he's saying, "I love you."





	the touch of a velvet hand

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by Murder 101, the Twitter murder mystery game that had everyone Shook. I would like to thank Hannah aka @adorehyuks for creating such an interesting world with such amazing characters. Everyone I spoke to had their own theories, and it's to crazy to think that so many people came together over a little game.
> 
> I had my own theory developed and had this fic halfway written by the time the real murderer was revealed. I was sad to see that I was wrong, but at the same time it was exciting because now I have the chance to tell the story my way. I hope you all like it!

Seongwoo wasn't the best fake nurse in the world, but he certainly knew his way around a high school clinic. He knew where every medication was, had managed to memorize what half of it did, and had even given a few students the proper treatment when they came to him. He also knew that the disinfectants here weren't your everyday cleaning products. Principal Yoon might have been an absolute fool when it came to most things, but when it came to hygiene, he didn't mess around. Seongwoo almost considered it a Godsend, if his uses for them hadn't been so unholy. 

Seongwoo stopped his cleaning for a second to look up at Jinyoung's body. It hung there, completely still. It almost scared Seongwoo with how still it was. In the movies, it was always shown swinging. Seongwoo looked at the boy's face. It was calm, almost as if he was simply sleeping, so different from the complete terror that had been there no less than a few hours earlier. That thought gave him shivers, so he turned his attention back to cleaning. 

He first gathered all of the evidence from Jinyoung's bag that Jinyoung had planned to use against him. A bag of cocaine, Jinyoung's phone, a small tape recorder with conversations between Seongwoo and Daniel on it. He put it all in a biohazard bag and threw it in the dumpster. Stupid, probably, but Seongwoo knew that the biohazard bags were the best place to put them because they wouldn't likely be opened. 

He then had to disinfect the restroom. He scrubbed down the entirety of the second stall. The toilet, the floors, the walls, every inch was drenched in high-grade disinfectant and bleach and then scrubbed with a towel. Then, he scrubbed down anything else that he or Jinyoung may have come into contact with. 

Finally, he had to face the worst part of it all. He poured bleach over a wash cloth and then went to the body, still unmoving, and wiped over every exposed area of skin. He went over the hands, and then the face and neck. When he felt he was finished, he did a quick spray of everything, just to make sure he had done all he could. 

He then left the bathroom and went back to the clinic. He took off his gloves and lab coat, placing them on his desk. He ran his hands over his face, still unable to process everything. He sat down, his breathing beginning to grow heavy. It hit him all at once, a crushing weight on his chest of what he had done. 

His mind was filled with horrible images. The fear in Jinyoung's eyes when Seongwoo shoved him against the wall. The desperate look on his face as he clawed at Seongwoo's hands. The awful sound he made as he fought for air, the tears feeling his eyes as he realized he was dying. The sudden limpness of his body as he finally let go. 

And intertwining with all this darkness was one single ray of light. It was a memory of Daniel, lying next to Seongwoo in bed. His smile is lazy, and his eyes are half-open. His hand touches Seongwoo's face, and in a soft voice, he's saying, "I love you." 

Seongwoo suddenly felt sick and had to run to the trash can, where he vomited until he was dry heaving, tears stinging his eyes. He should have known better, should have kept Daniel out of it. Daniel was young, naive, and so full of life. He wasn't fit for this life. But Seongwoo simply couldn't tell him no. 

It had all started the first day of his job at the school's nurse. He'd found out about the job through Lai Guanlin, one of his biggest customer's son, who went to the school. He had told Seongwoo that he had access to high-grade cocaine and he'd be willing to give Seongwoo a cut of the pay if he could help distribute. The only way he could get it to Seongwoo, though, was through drop offs and the school seemed like the easiest place. Guanlin had gotten all the false degrees and credentials that Seongwoo needed, and within days he had a job. 

Principal Yoon walked him around the school, introducing him to the other faculty and a few of the students. Seongwoo didn't pay very much attention, none of it really mattered. His only purpose here was to sell the product, not care about the heathens that seemed to run the place. They made it to the music room last, Principal Yoon going on about how they had the best music teacher for miles. 

The students were sitting in the circle on the floor, with one sitting in a chair in the middle. He had a guitar, and he was singing softly as he played. His voice was pretty, and his playing was almost delicate. On the other side of the room stood Daniel. Seongwoo knew he was handsome from the first moment he saw him. He was smiling, his eyes almost completely closed. He was swaying gently to the music, and his smile somehow grew larger when he saw Seongwoo and Principal Yoon approaching. 

Daniel introduced himself, and the two of them hit it off pretty quickly. Daniel explained that once a week, he allowed the students to perform in front of the class. He said it not only helped their skills, but also their confidence as a performer. He spoke so passionately about his job, and it made Seongwoo happy to see that someone in the school actually cared. Seongwoo introduced himself, and Daniel said he hoped to speak to Seongwoo again soon. Seongwoo said he'd always be in the clinic and Daniel was more than welcome to pay him a visit anytime. 

From then on, Daniel and Seongwoo were nearly inseparable. Given a free moment, Daniel was at the clinic, sitting on Seongwoo's desk while he graded tests or Seongwoo tried to fill out paperwork. They usually just talked about school stuff, like the students or the other faculty. Seongwoo mostly had to bullshit his conversation, knowing little to nothing about the school system. Daniel never seemed to mind though, his smile never leaving his face as he spoke. 

Seongwoo had learned to love his new job. He was making amazing money on his deal with Guanlin, he got a free meal at least twice a day, and he and Daniel were slowly getting closer. Conversation shifted from small talk to real conversations about passions and hobbies and life. Soon enough, Seongwoo was making the first move and kissing Daniel. From then on, he and Daniel were a "thing." It wasn't much really. Daniel still came to the clinic to talk, but the talking evolved into kissing which eventually led to a locked door and Seongwoo fucking Daniel into the clinic's excuse for a bed. 

Seongwoo's life was the brightest it had ever been. That is, until he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Guanlin regularly changed the drop off location just to make sure no one got suspicious. This time, he told Seongwoo that he hid it in the piano in the music room. Seongwoo thought nothing of this, and during his lunch break, he went to the music room. He lifted the top of the piano and grabbed the bag, stuffing it into his lab coat. As he was lowering the piano, he heard Daniel's voice behind him. 

"Seongwoo, what are you doing?" 

Seongwoo cursed under his breath, before turning to Daniel and flashing a smile. Seongwoo was one of the worst liars he knew, especially when it came to coming up with them on the spot. He hesitated for a long time before responding with, "Daniel, why aren't you in the cafeteria?" 

"You know I always spend my lunch break with you. You weren't in the clinic, so I thought you might have come to see me for a change," Daniel said, smiling toward the end of his sentence. "Now, what were you doing in the piano?" 

"Um, I was playing it and I thought one of the keys sounded funny so I thought I'd check out the strings," Seongwoo said, his voice shaking. Daniel eyed him, looking at his bulging lab coat pocket. 

"You're lying to me," Daniel said. "What's in your pocket?" 

Seongwoo knew he couldn't lie, and there was no way out of the situation, so he pulled the bag from his pocket and laid it on top of the piano. Daniel's eyes widened at the sight, and his eyes drifted between Seongwoo and the drugs. Seongwoo prepared himself for the worst, but to his surprise, Daniel approached him and wrapped his arms around him. Seongwoo retaliated, confused but not willing to question it. 

"You're not really a nurse, are you?" Daniel asked. 

"No," Seongwoo said. 

"Talk to me." 

Daniel and Seongwoo sat down, and Seongwoo told Daniel about everything. He told Daniel that he'd been living in his car for a year until he had gotten into the drug business. He told Daniel that he'd never used drugs himself, but had always sold them but never for this type of pay. His goal was to have a nice place of his own instead of the shitty apartment he was currently living in. He wanted to make a nice life for himself so maybe one day he could leave this life behind. 

Daniel had listened to him intently, rubbing Seongwoo's knee as he spoke. There was no judgment on his face, only interest and, at times, fondness. When Seongwoo was finished, he looked at Daniel, expecting him to leave to go report him. Daniel didn't say anything, only leaned forward and kissed Seongwoo. Seongwoo kissed him back, worry oozing off of him as the kiss went on. When Daniel pulled away, he spoke. 

"I want in." 

Seongwoo hesitated for a moment, sure he had misheard Daniel. When Daniel kept the expectant look on his face, Seongwoo laughed to cover up his worry and said, "What? No way." 

Daniel frowned, and Seongwoo wanted to kiss it away and forget this whole ordeal ever happened. Seongwoo knew better, though. When Daniel's mind was set on something, he refused to let it go. Daniel smiled, his go-to response, and said, "Why not?" 

Seongwoo wanted to scream. Wanted to tell Daniel that he was too clean, too young, too naive to get wrapped up in all this. Wanted to tell Daniel that he was the last aspect of Seongwoo's life that wasn't covered in filth and loathing. Wanted to tell Daniel everything that he meant to Seongwoo, right there in that music room with Daniel looking him at him with that smile. 

But of course, Seongwoo had to do the exact opposite. 

"You'd only get in the way," he said, his eyes lowering. He didn't need to look at Daniel to know the impact the words had made. Seongwoo turned and left, not daring to glance at Daniel. He was already on the verge of tearing up, and he knew seeing Daniel would break him completely. 

It was a week before the dust settled. Seongwoo couldn't work up the courage to face Daniel, and even if he could, he didn't want to. He knew Daniel would keep asking about joining, and Seongwoo could not let that happen. Seongwoo needed something in his life to hold him down, to keep him grounded, to keep him from completely flying off the rails. 

Seongwoo was reading his customer list when he heard the door to the clinic open. He looked up just in time to see Daniel's face before Daniel was on him, pressing his lips into Seongwoo's almost violently. Seongwoo's chair rolled back, almost flipping before it found stability against the wall. Seongwoo pulled back, asking, "What are you doing?"  
Daniel stood up and straightened his coat. He looked angry, but his face kept its usual softness. The only difference was his mouth was a straight line and his eyebrows were furrowed ever so slightly, but it was glaringly obvious that he was not his usual self. 

"I don't know who you think you are," Daniel said, his voice calm. "You do not make me get attached to you only for you to speak to me like you did and then not speak to me for a week. You may be a charming drug-dealing fake nurse, but you are not going to treat me as if I'm below you. Now, either you apologize to me right now or I'm leaving and what we have is over." 

Seongwoo was in shock. Daniel always had an eloquent way of speaking (it was most likely to distract from his accent, which he absolutely hated), but it was never like this. It was as if he had planned this confrontation, had been thinking about it all day, or even worse. All week. Or maybe it was the teacher in him coming out, handling Seongwoo the same way he would handle a misbehaved student. 

"I'm sorry," Seongwoo said, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. "I really am, Daniel. I shouldn't have said that to you. It's not how I meant for it to come out. It's not what I meant." 

"What did you mean then, Seongwoo?" Daniel asked, sitting down on the clinic bed. His expression didn't change, but his voice grew softer. 

"I meant like, you would get in the way financially. Guanlin and I have this split fifty-fifty, and if I let you in, my cut would shrink down to twenty-five. I need that money, Daniel. It's the whole reason I'm doing this." While it still sounded completely horrible, it wasn't a complete lie on Seongwoo's part. He really did not want his pay to be cut. 

Daniel looked at him for a moment before laughing. He walked back over to Seongwoo and climbed onto his lap, straddling him. "You're such an idiot. Do you really think I want in for the money? I want in because I want to help you. I care about you, Seongwoo. I want to help you in any way I can." 

Seongwoo couldn't help but grin. He wrapped his arms around Daniel, hugging him. Daniel giggled and pressed his cheek into Seongwoo's hair. Seongwoo could not believe that such a person like Daniel could care so deeply for someone as atrocious as himself. Seongwoo brought Daniel back down for another quick kiss before he spoke. 

"I appreciate the sentiment, baby," Seongwoo said, hoping his charm would soften the next blow. "I still don't want you in, though." 

"And why is that?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows perking up. 

"This business, it's not a game. It's ugly, illegal, and sometimes downright dangerous. I don't know what I would do if you got hurt," Seongwoo said softly. He brushed a hand over Daniel's cheek. It hit Seongwoo that it was the first time that he implied that his feelings for Daniel were more than simple affection. 

"I can take care of myself, you know," Daniel said with a chuckle. "I don't need you to watch out for me. I'm an adult, I know the dangers of drug trafficking. I want in. I've met Nurse Ong, and now I want to know Seongwoo. Please, let me help you." 

Seongwoo saw the glint in Daniel's eyes and knew there was no way out of this. He sighed heavily, and he saw Daniel smile when he realized he had won. Daniel kissed Seongwoo again, grinning against Seongwoo's mouth. Seongwoo let himself be kissed, and when Daniel was finished, Seongwoo told him the arrangement. 

Instead of Seongwoo having to leave the clinic when Guanlin did a drop-off, Daniel would pick it up and deliver to Seongwoo personally. He would take absolutely no part in selling it, and he was to keep his mouth shut. Daniel listened intently, and when Seongwoo finished, he gave Seongwoo one final kiss before heading back to class. 

After that, things ran smoothly. Daniel did what he was told to do, and, to Seongwoo's surprise, sales actually went up. Seongwoo wasn't sure how, because Daniel's part in the operation was practically useless. He'd only given him that position so he would be satisfied. Seongwoo didn't question it, though. He was never one to question money.  
It wasn't long until Seongwoo had saved up enough money for his own place. It wasn't anything spectacular, just a little house on the edge of town. It was big enough for Seongwoo, which, in turn, meant it was big enough for Daniel. They never used the term "living together," but it didn't take long for most of Daniel's belongings to end up at Seongwoo's place. They were with each other nearly every second of every day, and while the idea scared Seongwoo, he found that Daniel was very easy to live with and Seongwoo never grew tired of him. 

Things were perfect until they weren't. 

The first sign that a storm was coming came when Seongwoo was going through his customer list. He noticed that a certain customer had bought a lot recently, and not just all at once. Four separate deals, all belonging to the Bae family. It was even weirder considering it was the first time they had dealt with Seongwoo. It simply didn't make sense, but there wasn't much he could do about it. There was no way to track down the buyer, it all happened anonymously. Most of the dealings happened online. Money was transferred into his account, and a note came along with the payment telling Seongwoo where to leave the drugs, and Seongwoo presumes they come to pick up their stuff. Seongwoo never made any actual contact with the buyers, so Seongwoo couldn't track suspicious behavior even if he wanted to. 

It still ate at his mind when Daniel visited him during lunch, so he brought it up. At first, he seemed mildly uninterested, until he brought up the Bae name. 

"Bae?" Daniel asked, picking up the customer list. He scanned it for a moment before sighing. "Fuck." 

"What is it?" Seongwoo asked. 

"This is Bae Jinyoung, he's a student in my class," Daniel said, rubbing his forehead. "I know it's him. He's using his parents' names and money." 

"How do you know what?" 

"Don't be mad," Daniel said. "I've been selling some of the product on the side. Nothing major though, just to a few of the kids in my class. Jinyoung must have found out about it and wanted in on it but in bulk. I don't know why he'd want drugs though, he seems like a very clean-cut kid." 

"You what?" Seongwoo asked, his voice raising. He could see Daniel cower slightly, so he lowered his voice slightly. "Daniel, what the fuck? I thought I told you that you were to take no part in selling?" 

"Seongwoo," Daniel said, frowning. "I'm not stupid. I know you gave me a useless position just to keep my mouth shut. I know what I'm doing. I've been working here way longer than you have. I know these kids. I know the drug addicts, I know the snitches, and I know who can stay quiet. I'm tired of you treating me like a child." 

Seongwoo stared at Daniel for a moment, unsure of what to say. Daniel had a point, he did know the school better than Seongwoo did. Daniel probably knew who to sell to and who to stay away from, but that didn't change the fact that he did it behind Seongwoo's back. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Seongwoo asked. 

"I knew you would be mad," Daniel said. "I can stop if you want me to, though. I was just saving up some money on the side in case we needed it. I have quite a bit saved up now though, so I think I don't need to deal anymore." 

"That still doesn't explain why this Jinyoung kid is buying so much at once," Seongwoo said. "Or why he even knows." 

"I don't know. I never sold to him, and he doesn't seem like the type to do drugs. His parents could be buying it, maybe. I could've completely misread it. I don't know his parents, maybe they're rich drug addicts just like everyone else." 

"You're probably right. I'm looking too far into it," Seongwoo said, standing up and hugging Daniel. "I'm sorry for raising my voice at you, Daniel. I just worry about you." 

Daniel laughed but said nothing. 

"Please, don't do it anymore. It's too risky. You could get caught, and then the whole operation could fall apart," Seongwoo whispered, hoping Daniel could understand what he meant without having to say it. 

The second sign came a few days later. Seongwoo was going back into the clinic from the restroom when he noticed that the door was slightly open. School policy was that the clinic remains locked when unoccupied, and Seongwoo was certain he had locked it. At first, he assumed Daniel had gotten in with his key, but when Seongwoo went in, the clinic was completely empty. He did a quick search of the clinic and found that nothing was missing, but there was something laying on the floor. When Seongwoo picked it up, he found that it was a small battery.

It shook Seongwoo to the core, but he decided to keep it to himself. Daniel didn't need to know. Daniel had a bad habit of not keeping his mouth shut, especially under stress. Word of this needn't get out, so Seongwoo decided to do his own private investigating. 

The third and final sign came later that day. 

It wasn't unusual for teachers to stay in the building for hours after classes ended, so when Seongwoo told Daniel that he was staying after to restock the clinic, Daniel didn't question it. Daniel said he'd be there when Seongwoo got home, and not to stay too late. Once Daniel left, Seongwoo sat in the clinic and waited until he saw Principal Yoon leave his office. Seongwoo knew that that's where the monitors for the cameras were kept, and he was determined to find out who'd been in the clinic. 

Seongwoo had picked up many skills during his years as a drug dealer, and one of them included lock picking. It didn't take long for Seongwoo to pick his way into the office. Thankfully, Principal Yoon was a complete fool and left his computer on. Seongwoo certainly wasn't a hacker. It took Seongwoo a few minutes to figure out how to work the camera system, but eventually, he was able to view the camera feed from the time he was in the restroom. 

Seongwoo wanted to say he was shocked when he saw who had been in the clinic, but when Bae Jinyoung's face appeared on the monitor, he wasn't surprised in the least. The kid had somehow gotten a key and was in and out of the clinic in a matter of minutes. The sketchiest part was that as Jinyoung was exiting, he was stuffing something into his bag. Seongwoo's mind raced as he watched Jinyoung run in the direction of the music room. Thankfully, the music room was one of the few classrooms that had a camera inside it, so Seongwoo was able to see what Jinyoung was doing. 

On screen, Jinyoung searched the music room to make sure no one was around. He then proceeded to go to the piano, where the view from the camera was obscured. Jinyoung was there for a minute or so before he went to Daniel's desk and put something there. He then left, almost as quickly as he came. 

Seongwoo immediately sped through the rest of the feed and saw that Daniel didn't go to his desk again that day, meaning that whatever Jinyoung had left there was still there. Seongwoo's heart was pounding as he ran to the music room, using his key to quickly get into the room. Sitting on top of a stack of papers on Daniel's desk was an envelope, and inside was a note. 

It read: 

Mr. Kang, I know about your and Nurse Ong's drug business. I have more than enough evidence to send the both of you to prison, and I won't hesitate to use it against you if you don't comply with my demands. As you know, there is a songwriting competition coming soon, and I plan on winning under any circumstance. If you don't rig the competition in my favor, I will go directly to Principal Yoon with my findings. I don't want to have to do this Mr. Kang, but I will. Do not take this lightly. 

-Bae Jinyoung 

Seongwoo's hands shook as he read over the note a few times. He clenched his fists, crumpling the paper and almost ripping it in the process. He decided against it though and stuffed it into his pocket. He then checked the piano, and in it was another note. "Missing something?" was scribbled on it, and Seongwoo could only assume that Jinyoung had taken the product as blackmail. 

Seongwoo took a few breaths before letting out a scream. How fucking _dare_ some snobby rich kid threaten Daniel? Over a stupid fucking writing contest. Seongwoo almost couldn't breathe as he imagined Daniel reading the note, Daniel being afraid, Daniel having to taint his integrity as a fair teacher, Daniel being locked away in some prison, Daniel never seeing Seongwoo again- 

_No_. Seongwoo would not let that happen. He would be damned if he let Daniel go down for his own mistakes. Seongwoo would fix this, somehow. He _had_ to. 

When he got home, it was hard to look Daniel in the face and pretend everything was alright. The note in his pocket burned against his skin as Daniel kissed him as he walked into the house, and told him that he missed Seongwoo while he was gone. Seongwoo held onto Daniel as tight as he could without hurting him and refused to let go. Daniel laughed but allowed himself to be held. Seongwoo tried to remember every detail of this moment, just in case it was the last chance he had. The smell of Daniel's skin, the warmth that he always seemed to radiate, the feeling of Daniel's hands on his back. 

Eventually, Daniel pulled himself out of Seongwoo's grip and asked Seongwoo if he was okay. Seongwoo nodded and told him everything was okay, he needn't worry. Seongwoo then carried Daniel into the bedroom, laughing as Daniel let out a cry when he left the ground. Seongwoo laid Daniel on the bed and leaned down to kiss him. Daniel kissed him back, pressing himself into Seongwoo. Eventually, Seongwoo had Daniel sighing beneath him and Seongwoo pressed into him. 

It was gentle and slow, nothing like the other times Seongwoo and Daniel fucked. Seongwoo could barely look at Daniel as he pressed into him, afraid of seeing the pure adoration Daniel always looked at him with. Seongwoo spent most of his time kissing Daniel and running his hands over Daniel's chest, needing to feel his heartbeat on his fingers, needing to know that Daniel was alive and safe under him. 

Once they finished and had come down from their highs, Seongwoo laid on his side to look at Daniel. Daniel's skin glowed under a thin layer of sweat, and Seongwoo couldn't stop himself from reaching out and placing a hand on Daniel's hip, rubbing it gently. Daniel smiled and moved so he was closer to Seongwoo, allowing Seongwoo's arm to wrap around him completely. Seongwoo used his free hand to push the hair out of Daniel's face, and the thought of not seeing that face every day for the rest of his life scared the shit out of him. 

He leaned forward slightly to press a chaste kiss on Daniel's forehead. Daniel hummed and leaned into it before pulling back and looking Seongwoo directly in the eyes. He places a hand on Seongwoo's cheek, and in a soft, quiet voice whispers everything Seongwoo had been waiting to hear. 

"I love you." 

Seongwoo's mouth opens, ready to say it back. He's been waiting months for a revelation, just needing a little push to completely burst open and tell Daniel everything he's felt since he first met Daniel. He goes to tell him how horribly in love with him he is, how he's ready to find a real job and settle down with Daniel, how he wants them to skip town together, to start a new life free of drugs and free of lying, how he wants to press himself so close to Daniel that they mold together to form one divine being. 

But then his mind fills with thoughts of Bae Jinyoung blackmailing Daniel because of _him_ , of Daniel losing his job because of _him_ , of Daniel living the next twenty years of his life in prison because of _him_ , and his voice escapes him. He can't do it. He cannot bring himself to look Daniel in the eyes and tell him he loves him, knowing that it was their relationship that got them in this ugly mess. 

Seongwoo simply gives Daniel a sad smile and turns over before he can see Daniel react. He can hear Daniel softly whimper on the other side of the bed, and everything in Seongwoo wants to go to him and tell him everything is going to be okay and that he loves him and nothing is going to change that, but he can't. And as Seongwoo falls asleep, he's picturing ways to get rid of Bae Jinyoung. 

The next day, when Seongwoo goes to wake Daniel up for work, he finds that Daniel has already left. It stings, but Seongwoo knows he can fix this. He just needs time.  
Work is more boring than usual without Daniel's constant visits. Seongwoo finds himself going to the restroom way more frequently to give him something to do. And on one of these restroom visits, he sees him. 

Bae Jinyoung, washing his hands, looking as smug as possible. He turns to Seongwoo when he hears the door open and gives him a friendly smile. 

"Hello, Nurse Ong. How are you today?" he asked, his voice chipper. 

Seongwoo wanted nothing more than to bash Jinyoung's head into the sink, but he kept his cool. 

"I'm good, Jinyoung. How about you? Shouldn't you be in class?" Seongwoo asks, trying to keep his voice from shaking. 

"Mr. Kang gave me a hall pass," Jinyoung said, raising up a laminated piece of paper. 

"Oh, Mr. Kang," Seongwoo said, walking closer to Jinyoung. "He's quite something, isn't he? A good guy, and a great teacher." 

"I-I guess," Jinyoung said, drying his hands. "Aren't you guys close? Rumor has it that you live together these days." 

"They're exactly that. Rumors. Those seem to spread very quickly around here, don't they? I certainly wouldn't want anyone at this school knowing my secrets, and I'm sure Daniel feels the same way." 

Jinyoung turned his entire body to face Seongwoo and crossed his arms. "What exactly are you getting at, Nurse Ong?" 

"I think you know _exactly_ what I'm getting at, Jinyoung," Seongwoo said, his voice remaining calm. He pulled the note from his pocket and threw it at Jinyoung. "You know a very special secret about Daniel, and I think it would be best if you kept it to yourself." 

Jinyoung's face changed instantly, going from a kind smile to one that Seongwoo felt was pure evil. Jinyoung shook his head, chuckling, and said, "How long did you think your little business was gonna last, Nurse Ong? If I can even call you that. Did you think you and Mr. Kang could go on like this forever, selling drugs out of a school building? You're a joke, both of you are." 

Jinyoung eyed Seongwoo as if he expected Seongwoo to snap back with something, but Seongwoo stayed quiet. "I'm giving you two a chance to let this all go away, you know. It's not like I'm going straight to the police. Did you not read the note?" 

"Oh, I read it," Seongwoo said, getting closer to Jinyoung. "You threatened to send Daniel to prison if you didn't win some fucking contest. You're blackmailing a teacher because you can't win it yourself. You're almost a grown man and you still can't take care of yourself. If anyone here is a joke, it's you." 

"Is that really how you wanna talk to me?" Jinyoung said, his voice raising. "I have enough evidence in this bag to send you to prison for a long time, so I really don't think you want to down talk me." 

"Please," Seongwoo nearly begged. "Don't do this. Daniel doesn't deserve this, he has little to no part in the operation. Send me away, if you must, but leave Daniel out of this." 

"Oh my God," Jinyoung said, laughter bubbling out of his mouth. "You love him, don't you? You didn't come here to try and save yourself. You came here to save your pretty little boyfriend from prison. How cute." 

Jinyoung leaned against the sink and continued to laugh. Seongwoo could only watch as the one thing standing between him and Daniel laughed directly in his face, almost daring him to do something. Bad mistake. 

Before Seongwoo could process what he was doing, he was charging at Jinyoung. Jinyoung made an attempt to run, but Seongwoo was too quick. He wrapped his hands around Jinyoung's throat and pressed him against the wall. Jinyoung scratched at Seongwoo's hands, but Seongwoo only pressed harder, his blood damn near boiling. 

"Get off me!" Jinyoung choked out, twisting and writhing against the grip at his throat. His eyes were full of fear and tears poured down his cheeks. Seongwoo thought about releasing his grip, but thoughts of Daniel pooled in his brain and he _just. kept. pressing._

"You don't threaten him, do you hear me?" Seongwoo screamed, his fingers digging into Jinyoung's throat. "You stay away from him! I love him and I'm not gonna let someone like you get in the way of that! You! Stupid! Fuck!" 

"P-Please." Jinyoung's voice was no longer audible and his eyes were beginning to close. After another minute, his body went limp. His head leaned forward onto Seongwoo's arms, causing Seongwoo to withdraw his hands. Jinyoung's body slumped forward, and Seongwoo instantly jumped into panic mode. 

Seongwoo grabbed Jinyoung's hand and dragged him into the second stall, quickly propping up on the toilet. Seongwoo figured that if he could make it look like Jinyoung was using the restroom, he'd be safe until the end of the day, and then he could figure out what to do. It wasn't perfect logic, but then again neither was choking a kid out in a high school bathroom. 

By the end of the day, Seongwoo had devised a plan. He'd string Jinyoung and make it look like a suicide. It was simple, logical, and wouldn't call for much of an investigation. 

And that how Seongwoo got where he was now, sobbing in an empty school clinic at five in the afternoon. Seongwoo really fucked hated his life, he decided as he locked the door behind him. It was time to go home. 

Everything was gonna be fine, told himself. He and Daniel were gonna quit the drug business and live off their decent income and live happily ever after. No one had to know anything ever went on. Guanlin could find another seller because Seongwoo was fucking done. He could never put Daniel back in a situation like that. He loved Daniel- 

He _loved_ Daniel. 

As Seongwoo walked out to his car, he dialed Daniel's number. It rang three times, and Seongwoo cursed himself when he realized that Daniel probably wasn't gonna answer. Seongwoo really fucking hated himself sometimes. 

"Hey," said Daniel, who answered after the fourth ring. 

"Oh my God, thank you," Seongwoo said, getting in his car. "I thought you weren't gonna answer." 

"Is something wrong? You sound a little out of breath. Are you crying?" 

"I'm fine, I just..." Seongwoo's voice trailed off. He knew he couldn't come up with an excuse and all this small talk was just getting in the way. There was a reason he called. 

"Seongwoo, are you okay?" Daniel asked after a long silence. 

"I love you," Seongwoo said. "I just called to tell you I love you so much, more than anything. I know everybody always says that but like, it's true this time. I have never loved anything or anyone the way I love you. You are the literal light of my life. Without you, I'd probably still be living on the streets. You mean the world to me, and I would do _anything_ for you. I'd lay down my life for you. Jesus Christ, Daniel. I just love the fuck outta you." 

There was a pause, and for a moment Seongwoo thought Daniel had hung up. 

"Daniel, you there?" 

"Y-Yeah." 

They didn't say anything after that. Seongwoo was sure he had fucked up. He said too much, too late. Daniel had already built up enough hatred for Seongwoo to stomp out all the former affection he felt. Seongwoo should've just fucking told him the first time, should've gotten on his knees and praised him like the deity he was. 

"Is this true? Or are you just saying this so you can get me into bed tonight?" Daniel asked, his voice small. 

"Oh my God? Is that what you think of me? Is that what I've made you feel all this time?" Seongwoo said, his sobs becoming more obvious. He tried to keep his voice calm as he continued. "Daniel, I let you move in with me. I see you every day, and I nearly lose my mind when you're not around. I wanna... I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to wake up every day to see your stupid face. I want to get a real job so I can take care of you and keep you out of harm's way and keep you safe in my chest. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. " 

Seongwoo's voice broke on the last word and began to weep, his head falling onto the steering wheel. He could hear Daniel speaking, but he couldn't make out the words over the sound of his own shortened breaths. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and then he pictured hands around his neck, being pinned against a wall. 

"Fucking Christ," he said to himself. He turned his attention back to Daniel. "I'm coming home, baby. I'm coming home. Just please be there when I get there." 

"Of course, Seongwoo," Daniel said. "I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere, ever." 

The police did an investigation of Jinyoung's death, and they arrested some Woojin boy for it. Seongwoo almost felt bad for the kid, but when he looked at Daniel and considered the other option, all of the guilt melted away. 

Life was good, except when it wasn't. Seongwoo had nightmares about the incident. Sometimes the dreams were exactly how it happened, him towering over a kid, choking him to death. Other times, he was Jinyoung, cold hands tightening around his throat. He'd wake up gasping for air while Daniel held him against his chest, rocking Seongwoo gently. 

"You talk in your sleep, you know," Daniel would tell him after Seongwoo had calmed down. Seongwoo knew what he meant. Daniel knew what really happened to Jinyoung, but somehow it didn't worry Seongwoo. Daniel didn't seem to care either, showing no signs of loving Seongwoo any less. And if it showed Daniel an _inkling_ of how much he meant to Seongwoo, well. 

Well, that was alright by him.

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on Twitter, where I post about how much Wanna One makes me wanna die! @ultjisunq


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